REPUBLIC of Ireland Under-21 boss Don Givens insists he has buried the hatchet with Anthony Stokes – and is tipping the Sunderland frontman to force his way back into the senior squad.

Stokes will play for the Under- 21s in tonight’s friendly against Sweden in Uppsala, marking his return to international action after a brief fall-out with Givens last month.

That was sparked by Stokes’ failure to inform his manager he was withdrawing from the squad for a friendly in Germany due to injury, although the striker insisted he was thought Sunderland would contact the Irish FA on his behalf.

As a result of that misunderstanding, the former Arsenal hitman was left out of Ireland’s UEFA Under-21 Championship qualifier against Portugal at the beginning of September.

Now he is now back in the fold, and Givens says it is up to the 19-year-old to impress senior boss Steve Staunton and add to the three full caps he won earlier this year.

Givens said: “I have no doubt if Anthony does the business for us and is appearing regularly for Sunderland then he will be back in Steve Staunton’s senior squads.

“He is a good kid and I never had any problems with him before the Germany situation, so we have moved on from it.

“It is business as usual between us. I told him the slate was clean and I want him to go out there and show me how good a player he is.”

Tonight’s game against Sweden will act as a warm-up for the Under-21 Championships qualifier against England in Cork on Tuesday.

Givens added: “I have told Anthony I want him to go out and really influence the game. He has a lot of responsibility in an attacking sense for us.

“You have to have genuine football intelligence to play that role and I feel he is capable of doing it.”

Stokes, who made his senior international debut against San Marino in February, has made seven Premier League appearances for Sunderland so far, but is yet to score his first top-flight goal.

:: SUNDERLAND’S Nyron Nosworthy and Dean Whitehead have been named joint winners of the North East Football Writers’ Player of the Year Award, in recognition of their key roles in the Black Cats’ Championship-winning promotion season last term,

Nosworthy said: “It is an honour. I know some top players have won this in the past and it is a very prestigious award.

“We enjoyed a fantastic season last year and I was lucky to have played my part.

“I was just happy to be involved, but to be recognised like this, along with Deano, makes me proud.”

Sunderland skipper Whitehead added: “It was some season last year, but I have always said it felt different to the previous promotion, more of an achievement after the slow start .

“Hopefully it will be more of a permanent promotion this time around.”